{A/N: Hope you enjoy this chapter :D *}
`Kiki's hair was up in the air, being handled by several different noble-women, but she sat there on the cushion that they had placed there so she wouldn't have to sit on the cold ground, her arms folded across her chest at the moment, trying to stay calm for right now.
"Ow!" She yelled, snapping her gaze to one of the noble-women "That hurt." She snapped at the woman, who only grinned nervously and a few other women just shrugged as if it were nothing
"Sorry." The woman told her, and then went back to attempting to put Kiki's hair in various styles, Kiki then started to smack at one women who tugged at her hair again
"Stop fussing, girl." One of the noble-women told her, picking and yanking at her hair, attempting to fix it apparently, strapping down strips of string and clamping down a clip in her hair to hold it all together and up like that. Kiki was glaring at the wall right now, narrowing her eyebrows in frustration. One of the other women frowned at her, putting her hands on her hips as she did this.
"No man likes a woman when she frowns like that." The woman told Kiki, which was ironic, but Kiki, who was only breathing heavy now and trying her best not to snap at this woman, remained quiet. The others simply continued fussing about with her hair, finally all of them grinned happily "Now let's tie this tighter." One of the women yanked Kiki to her feet, she nearly growled in annoyance feeling the sash around her robe being tightened, making it nearly hard to breath right now but she held firm. Finally, Kiki just snapped
"Stop it!" She yelled at them, they looked at her in utter awe and shock, as if no one had yelled at them like that before. Kiki glared at them as she then smoothed back her hair once even though it was not needed, then turned to enter the throne room, her arms at her side and her hands in the slight forms of fists, not bothering with her manicured nails. Kiki could already feel the panic rising up in her chest, her breathing becoming shallow a bit. But she kept her mouth close, not speaking until spoken to. That's how she was taught even when she had the urge to answer, still though at times she had her moments of out-bursts. The flames that shot up from the torches that were set in a row on the left side and right side of her did not her make any more panicked than she already was.
Her gaze was set on the blue flames ahead, and that shadowed the man who was in charge here, fire lord Ozai of course. As he sat on the cushion of his seat, his hands in his lap and his gaze set forward. She kept walking; the hem of her dress that went past her feet was dragging softly against the marble floor behind her. Her hair seemed to feel too tight just like the sash around her waist, making her feel not only the tightening of her chest but being also uncomfortable was there too now. This wasn't her…and she knew it, but everyone else around there acted as if this was to be expected, what she would do when she was married as well to a noble-man, because it was expected.
She then knelt on the ground, her head bent down and one arm across her leg as she knelt, her breathing seemed calm but it was barely heard, just a mere whisper. She could hear him stand up then, walking across and through the flames, down the few set of marble steps towards her, standing only a few feet away. He stared at her then in observation; his eye-lids slightly drooped as then began to circle her, his hands behind his back.
"I only ask so much of you, Kiobi." He used her name even though she did not like it, but she knew that he was upset with her, unless upset was an understatement right now "Yet you continue to defy me. I ask myself why, but I already see the answer. As Azula has assured me of it, and what reason would she have to lie to me?" He had been looking across the room for a moment before then giving a side-way glance to the left, narrowing his eyebrows then "You are still thinking of Prince Zuko." He then raised his head, turning to look at her fully "But still, I wonder why? Perhaps you could enlighten me on this?"
She would not meet his gaze, but she did answer "I am sorry, fire lord Ozai." She slowly gave a side-way glance to the right, looking at Ozai then "Please, forgive me." Kiki looked away, letting out a breath then, not realizing she had been holding it the whole time she since she knelt down. Even as she held back her emotions, back her panic and worry, still the flames made her eyes sparkle, reflecting the fear she felt now.
"Forgiving you would not show you discipline." He narrowed his eyebrows then, as if concentrating on something then snapped his gaze back onto her "Would it, Lady Kiobi." It wasn't a question.
She wasn't really staring at anything at the moment "I understand, fire lord Ozai." She let her hands go back into the forms of fists, resisting the urge to say anything else.
"And when discipline is given, it should be a reminder to your insolence." He then walked back up the set of steps, away from her, and through the flames so sit back down on the cushioned seat he was at before "You will resume your training as soon as possible, is that understood, Lady Kiobi?" He still didn't sound too pleased with her. Kiki stood up then onto her feet, nodding once and then turning, quickly heading over to the door-way to leave, brushing back the curtain that hung there and left the room, walking out past the noble-women who were quick as well to follow her.
"What did he say?" One of them asked and Kiki stopped, a frown set on her lips again and her eyebrows narrowed in frustration, not even glancing back at them as she answered then
"Ladies shouldn't be so noisy in other people's business, men do not find that attractive." Then that side-grin was set on her lips again as she continued to walk on, the noble-women did not follow her this time, just stared in utter awe as she left and was then out of view.
She walked down the hall-way, feeling her hands still shaking as they were in the form of fists just like before but then she turned again, entering her bed-room, walking in and shutting the door behind her. That's when she let out a stuttered gasp, letting out the panic and fear she felt, her grin had disappeared and it was replaced with nothing but fear and worry, as she headed over to her bed, nearly collapsing on top of it. Kiki now was sitting slightly on the ground, clutching the covers on her bed for support. She slowly let her fists open up, staring at her still manicured nails then glanced up as she saw loose lock of hair in her face, quickly reaching up to yank out the clips in her hair and the strips string, her hair then fell like waves, hanging past her shoulders and some in front of her face, hiding her left eye like a curtain.
Slowly she made herself stand up, letting go of the covers on her bed, and tucked her hair behind her ears, taking in a deep breath, attempting to calm down now. She wasn't expected to let go like this, to let her emotions run out of place even if she wanted to, or needed to. She swallowed only to find her throat dry, then placed one hand over her lips, closing her eyes for a mere moment then re-opened then, pulling back her hand to put at her side again. Kiki walked over to the mirror that hung on the wall, looking at herself for once. Seeing what she was and what she wasn't, but that wasn't the point. It just looked wrong to her; out of place.
Kiki turned then, walking back over to the window in her room, the only window it seemed to be in this place at times, but she never seemed to be able to open it, so she just stared out of it, seeing the city below and the people the walked the streets, it seemed quaint and calm. She sighed then, sitting down as she looked away from the window, placing one hand on it. Even with all the warmth, it still felt cold to her. That's when she heard her door creaking open and she jumped to her feet, standing up and watching the door, seeing her friend, Yuki, poke her head in "He—Hey." She whispered, and then slipped inside quickly, shutting the door behind her.
Yuki had on a burgundy robe and her hair was up in a pony-tail, at times she seemed quite innocent but Kiki knew that she had a determined, tough side to her too but she was still sweet. She walked over to Kiki, her hands behind her back nervously but a smile was set on her lips "How'd the meeting go?" She twiddled her thumbs, and then tugged a bit at her hair; playing with it slightly like usual if she was nervous that is
"It wasn't a meeting." Kiki walked over to her bed again, sitting down gently onto it, looking away from Yuki, whom walked over as well, sitting down beside her, placing an arm around her in a comforting way
"Are you okay?" She asked "I know I ask that a lot, I just worry about you sometimes."
Kiki looked over at her friend, quirking an eyebrow before looking to what was in front of her, actually not looking at anything really "He talked about discipline and how I should respect it, that it should be a reminder to me." Yuki stared at Kiki for a moment, taking one long blink before looking off to the side, to her right, no longer seeming like her usual cheerful self
"So, he was angry again?"
"I don't know anymore." Kiki whispered, looking over at her friend, who she noticed wasn't smiling anymore. Yuki slipped her arm away from the brunette, placing her hands in her lap.
"Is something wrong?"
"Azula talked about you when you left, saying how you probably was planning to leave to go find Zuko but that you should just forget about him, that he'd only give you trouble. I told her that she was wrong, and she got kind of got upset." But then Yuki looked back at Kiki with a wide grin "But that means I stood up to her, doesn't it?!" She sounded really excited at the moment
Kiki gave a side-grin "Yeah, it does." She knew that Yuki was about to get overjoyed at what she had just learned, and but of course it happened only a mere moment later
"Yay!" Yuki giggled in joy, then just grinned ear-to-ear, jumped off the bed, doing a little victory dance that she loved to. Kiki just quirked an eyebrow, staring at Yuki in utter awe for a moment before shrugging, leaning back on the palm of her hands, placing one leg over the other as she watched Yuki dance about like that. It was actually quite amusing, honestly entertaining from what had been happening lately. It wasn't like Zao had any joys of making her happy or amused, and Azula was just over there calling her dull but yeah.
Yuki finally sat back down, folding her arms across her chest in triumphant, still having that grin plastered on her face "I feel so happy right now."
"I'm sure you do." Kiki nodded to give her friend comfort, and then she gave an actual sincere small smile "Thanks, Yuki."
Her friend stared at her then "For what?"
"Just for being here, being my friend."
